Metal casting is an important manufacturing process. Improvements are required to make this process more efficient because metal casting can be an expensive endeavor both in terms of production time as well as in the use of materials. Different types of machines have also been developed to reduce cost and increase efficiency.
The longer it takes to produce a product, the more energy required and therefore more cost to the consumer. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the time necessary to produce the product. Further, lowering the amount of material required to produce a cast part also lowers cost for the consumer. Although there may be some level of waste associated with casting, minimizing that waste reduces cost in several ways. Less material wasted means more material is available for use for casting the product. Also, less material wasted results in lower costs associated with recycling the waste.
Therefore, it is desirable to reduce waste and improve yield. It is also desirable to reduce cycle time and therefore the costs associated with metal casting. Accordingly, a simple cost effective apparatus is needed that simultaneously increases yield and reduces cycle time.